Shopping online? Now pay with crypto, India's UPI, more e-wallets using PayPal

Dubai: PayPal is transforming how global payments work—by adding options to access both cryptocurrency and popular digital wallets at checkout when shopping online.

PayPal will soon allow U.S. merchants to accept payments from more than 100 cryptocurrencies via wallets like Coinbase, OKX, MetaMask, Phantom, and Exodus. Supported tokens include Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, USDC, Solana, and others.

The standout feature? Instant conversion of crypto into fiat or PayPal’s own stablecoin PYUSD, with zero crypto exposure for merchants. At a transaction fee of just 0.99%, the service could cut international payment costs by up to 90% compared to traditional card networks.

“Businesses face pressure when growing globally, from increased costs for accepting international payments to complex integrations,” said Alex Chriss, President and CEO of PayPal. “By enabling seamless cross-border crypto payments, we're breaking long-standing barriers in global commerce.”

Merchants also have the option to retain earnings in PYUSD and earn up to 4% yield when held on PayPal—adding a new layer of passive income potential for small and medium businesses.

PayPal emphasized that these capabilities are designed to “simplify cross-border commerce” and connect merchants to a fast-growing base of over 650 million crypto users worldwide.

"Last week, we launched PayPal World, our global partnership bringing together five of the world's largest digital wallets on a single platform," added Chriss.

PayPal’s new World platform is designed to make global shopping and remittances as simple as scanning a QR code or clicking a local wallet button—even across borders.

Indian users, for instance, will soon be able to use UPI to pay for international online purchases by simply selecting the familiar UPI option during PayPal checkout, instead of entering card details or holding a foreign currency wallet.

The rollout also includes support for wallets like Venmo in the US and Weixin Pay (WeChat Pay) in China. So a PayPal user on holiday in China could buy coffee at a Weixin Pay-enabled café using their PayPal app. Likewise, a US-based Venmo user could send money to a friend in Germany via PayPal, using just their phone number.

This early phase could bring seamless PayPal-supported access to nearly 2 billion users globally, with more regional wallets expected to join the network soon.